Dine on a Dime

The idea here is to create a wonderful dish for the cost conscious family of four. Along with these recipes I will give you a breakdown of: the product, amount of that item, and the total cost.
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Chicken & Broccoli Fettuccini Alfredo w/ Garlic Bread:
I have to admit, I LOVE creamy, rich, delicious Chicken Alfredo. The flavors are fantastic and it just takes me to a happy place. So, I wanted to share that with my AMAZING husband because he is my happiest place ever! I love you Jaime!
Ingredients:
2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 large sweet onion, peeled & diced
1 bushel broccoli crowns cut stem off & slice in half
8 oz of Fettuccini noodles, dry
16 oz jar of Ragu Alfredo sauce
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry basil
1 dry parsley
8 oz of Italian blend shredded cheese
1 loaf of garlic bread
Directions:
1.      Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
2.      Once warm, place bread (in wrapper) on rack & bake for 12 minutes.
3.      In a large pot fill ¾ way with water & bring to a boil.
4.      Next, add noodles & boil for 12 minutes.
5.      In a medium saute pan on medium-high heat cook chicken until no longer pink. About 10 minutes.
6.      Remove chicken. Cut each breast in half lengthwise, then into pieces width wise.
7.      Next, remove noodles from heat, drain water, cover & set aside.
8.      Using the same pan as chicken, add the onions. Cook until onions are translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
9.      Now, add: chicken, broccoli, & sauce. Cover & simmer about 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
10. Uncover, add all spices & simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
11.  Remove bread from oven, cut open wrapper & slice.
12.  Now remove sauce from heat, stir in noodles, top with cheese & serve.
Yum, yum, yum! So delicious and simple! Best part of the whole meal, it costs under $15 & serves at least 4 people.
Here is the breakdown:
Barilla Fettuccini Noodles:
16 oz pkg: $1.41
Ragu Alfredo sauce:
16 oz jar: $1.62
Shredded Cheese:
(8 oz pkg)
On sale: 2 pkgs/$4
Price for 1 pkg: $2
Garlic Bread:
1 loaf: $2.50
Chicken Breast:
Price for 2 breasts: $3.47
Broccoli Crowns:
Price/pound: $1.49
Price for 0.64 of a pound: $0.95
Large Sweet Onion:
Price/pound: $0.69
Price for 0.92 of a pound: $0.63
That makes the Grand Total: $12.58
AWESOME!!!

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Cheeseburger Sliders w/ Steamed Broccoli:
I must confess, the husband gets all the credit for this awesome recipe. We were walking around our neighborhood Smith’s last week when he started eyeing some burger patties. They had these pre-seasoned patties that came two to a pack. My husband suggested that might be good for a meal later on.
A few days later I could not think of any meals so he thought we should go back to Smith’s and make some sliders. When we got there it seemed as if they were out of patties but, it just so happened they restocked and put some of them on sale! Here is what we ended up having:

Ingredients:
3 pkgs Backyard Grill pre-seasoned hamburger patties
3- 4oz pkgs of Hawaiian rolls
1 bunch Fresh Broccoli
1-      12oz pkg. of Kraft Singles




Directions:
Note: I use a George Foreman grill

1.       Heat grill.
2.      Once hot, grill patties for 8-10 minutes
3.      Next fill a sauce pan about ½ full with water and add broccoli.
4.      Steam on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until tender.
5.      Once patties are done, cut them into quarters.
6.      Next, take cheese slices and cut them into quarters.
7.      Now, place a quarter of cheese and a quarter of a patty on one of the rolls.
8.     Repeat the process until you run out of rolls.
Add veggies and any condiments and there you go!



Breakdown of Cost:
Backyard Grill pre-seasoned Patties: (3 pkgs)
  Originally: $2.99 each
  On sale: $1.49 each
 Total for 3 pkgs: $4.47
12 oz pkg Kraft Cheese Slices: (1 pkg)
Price: $4.39
Hawaiian Rolls: (3 pkgs)
Price: $1.00 each
  Total for 3: $3.00
Fresh Broccoli: (1 & ½ lbs)
Price per pound: $.89
Total price for 1 & ½ lbs: $1.45
Grand Total for entire meal: $13.31
Not bad, not bad! Under $20 for a super delicious meal, try it out and add your own flair. Have the kids help out! Whatever you do, enjoy it knowing you didn’t break the bank making a delicious meal. See you next time! Ciao!!!
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